Birth Rites on the day she was born a small black bear emerged from tall lime green grasses as I rushed to arrive my blood rushing too no one to tell or see, but me 55-years-old and alone this, my first bear in the wild world of my tame life on the day he was…
The Birth of Arwen, July 1974
It was the summer of 1974. I was 24 years old, married for one year. I was pregnant for the second time, but this was going to be my baby to keep. My pregnancy was fairly uneventful. The only craving I had was for fried shrimp at 2 in the morning. The closest I could…
Meghan’s Birth Story
Before giving birth, I tried to be as open-minded as possible about my options. I did my research, looking into homebirth, drugs versus drug-free, etc. I was open to the idea of an epidural – but not set on it unless I felt that I needed it. We were prepared for the idea of a…
Birth
(First written June 11, 2007: a doula’s perspective.) G’s labour was my third attendance at a labour not-my-own. I am struck by the fact that, should I have been raised in a farming community far away from anywhere else, I would probably work very hard to become a midwife. I really enjoy being in support of…
Birth Story of Thomas, May 2004
At 3:45 a.m., May 19, 2004, my son Jackson (2 ½ years old) woke me up by coming to our bed. He said, “Mummy, I’m sore.” When I felt him, I realized that he was burning up. We went back to his bed and I lay down with him for a few minutes. I realized…
The Birth of Jenny Rebecca, February 14th, 1972
In the summer of 1971 I was 21. I discovered that I was pregnant. I was single and had just finished my second year of teaching. I was visiting my step-brother and his wife in Niagara Falls when I found out. I knew right away how I was going to handle the situation. I knew…
Shannon’s Birth Story
This was my first pregnancy. My birth story isn’t idyllic, but it’s a story I love. During an early appointment, my midwife made a comment that stuck with me: “Some births seem so straightforward and beautiful and the woman feels disappointed; other births are downright violent and the woman is still so happy. I think…
The Birth of Zadyn
Zadyn Pele was due on September 11th, 2009, and didn’t arrive until September 20th, 2009. I had chosen to do a natural homebirth with my two amazing midwives T and C. After Zadyn’s due date came and went I started to feel very antsy. The discomfort of late pregnancy was really getting to me. I couldn’t sleep through the night…
Ripley’s Birth – February 6th, 2002
Like many things to do with pregnancy, it’s odd how much women’s stories can help other women more than any of the books out there. I learned that labour doesn’t necessarily happen like in the books – I was four centimetres dilated (beginning of active labour, right books?), but having 2-minute contractions every 2.5 minutes…
The Birth of Jackson, November 2001
This is how I came to decide on homebirth, and why it was the best choice for me. I have a friend who was studying to be a midwife when my husband and I were first married. She was the one who first started talking to me about the physiology of birth and how hospital…